Problem motel may get another chance

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BUENA PARK The troubled Crescent Motel is being remodeled and rebranded in hopes of regaining the right to operate in the city.

Renovations have already started to transform the property into the Best Host Inn. A public hearing at the city's Planning Commission is scheduled for Wednesday to decide whether to grant the property a new conditional-use permit.

“So far, the property has been a black eye on the city, but we want to make it a pride of the city,” said Michael Reazuddin, CEO of Milestone Hospitality Solutions, which leased the property and is remodeling it.

The motel, on Beach Boulevard and Crescent Avenue across from Knott's Soak City, has hosted a number of problems, according to the city. Cockroach infestations, soiled carpets, holes in the doors and walls, graffiti and hundreds of calls to the police were all issues cited by the city.

Last year, the City Council voted to revoke the property's permit after the owner failed to fix up the motel within the council's timeframe. The owner, Loc Van Nguyen, then sued the city, saying it did not give him enough time to make the changes.

The lawsuit has been put on hold now that Milestone is in the picture. If the permit is granted Wednesday, Nguyen has promised to drop the suit, said Joel Rosen, community-development director in Buena Park. Nguyen could not be reached for comment Monday.

Reazuddin leased the property in February. The lease is for five years, with the option to buy the property during or after that period.

Since Reazuddin leased the property, all 22 rooms on the second floor of building B have been redone. The rest of the rooms will follow. A soft opening for the Best Host Inn will happen this month.

“We wanted to start all the renovations before we got the CUP (conditional use permit) because we wanted to make sure the city knows we mean business,” Reazuddin said.

In addition to the rooms, Reazuddin is remodeling the lobby, planting flowers around the pool fence to add some privacy, building a sunroom for breakfast and early-evening snacks, adding a business center and a minimart, and providing a free shuttle to Disneyland and Knott's Berry Farm. Everything is expected to be done by the end of January, with a grand opening to follow.

The lowest-priced rooms at the Best Host will start at $89 per night. Rooms in the Crescent Motel were as low as $40.

Reazuddin is aiming for the inn to earn a two-and-a-half-diamond rating from AAA. That rating means, according to AAA, that the inn is moderately priced and has modestly enhanced physical attributes, design elements and amenities. The city is requiring the property to earn at least a two-diamond rating.

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